RUI: Coevolution of Resistance and Virulence in a Plant and its Fungal Pathogen

这项实验研究旨在测试几个 假设和预测的遗传模型用来解释 植物抗病性与病原菌协同进化 对宿主的毒性 这些模型表明， 选择可以维持寄主植物抗性的遗传变异 和病原体毒力，当这些特征都伴随着 多效性的健身成本。 不幸的是，几乎没有证据表明 可获得关于病原体抗性植物的成本;也 是否有确凿的证据表明， 病原体 此外，遗传修饰理论表明，许多 这些特性可能并不昂贵。 实验有两个主要目的：（1）确定 致病真菌的致病性遗传机制 矮刺盘孢菌及其在寄主高大上的抗性 牵牛花，Ipomoea purpurea，（2）观察模式 在这些物种的毒力和抗性性状的选择。 这些实验的结果将测试三个重要的 植物-病原体协同进化理论的假设：（1） 病原体对其寄主植物施加选择，（2）稳定 选择保持了抗性和抗性的遗传变异， （3）对病原菌的抗性是昂贵的。 研究结果将直接有助于生态理论，并将 大大增加了基础知识，可用于 疾病管理的应用生态学问题。 //

This experimental study is designed to test several assumptions and predictions of genetic models used to explain the coevolution of plant resistance to pathogens and pathogen virulence on hosts. These models indicate that stabilizing selection can maintain genetic variation in host-plant resistance and pathogen virulence when these traits are each accompanied by pleiotropic fitness costs. Unfortunately, little evidence is available about the costs to plants of pathogen-resistance; nor is there conclusive evidence that virulence is costly to pathogens. Moreover, genetic modifier theory suggests that many such traits may not be costly. The experiments have two main objectives: (1) determine the genetic mechanisms underlying virulence in the fungal pathogen Colletorichum dematium and resistance in its host, the tall morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea, and (2) observe patterns of selection on virulence and resistance traits in these species. Results from these experiments will test three important assumptions of plant-pathogen coevolutionary theory: (1) Pathogens impose selection on their host plants, (2) Stabilizing selection maintains genetic variation for both resistance and virulence characters, (3) Resistance to pathogens is costly. Findings will contribute directly to ecological theory and will add substantially to basic knowledge which can be used for problems in the applied ecology of disease management. //